The present invention relates to a vehicle window opening device such as a power window device that is installed in a vehicle.
A vehicle window opening device provided with a function for detecting a foreign matter that obstructs with the opening and closing of a vehicle window is known in the art. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2011-122369 describes a vehicle window opening device (power window device) that refers to changes in the rotation speed of a motor, which serves as a drive source, to detect when movement of a vehicle window glass is obstructed by a foreign matter. The vehicle window opening device acts to reduce the load applied to the foreign matter by, for example, stopping the motor when detecting the foreign matter. This allows for the foreign matter to be prevented from being entrapped between the closing vehicle window and the window frame. Further, this allows for the foreign matter to be prevented from being drawn into, for example, the door by the opening vehicle window.
However, in a vehicle window opening device provided with the foreign matter detection function described above, after stopping the movement of the vehicle window when detecting that the vehicle window, which is opening (being lowered in a power window device), is drawing in a foreign matter, the window may be closed (raised) to release the drawn-in foreign matter. In such a case, the change in load caused by the drawn-in foreign matter may result in erroneous entrapment detection. When such erroneous entrapment detection occurs, movement of the vehicle window is reversed (opened) or stopped. This may hinder the releasing of the foreign matter.
Further, a known vehicle window closing device executes speed control so that the vehicle window is moved at a low speed in a low speed zone and a high speed in a high speed zone (for example, refer to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2010-144379).
In the vehicle window device described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2010-144379, when stopping the motor upon detection of the drawing of a foreign matter, a switch is operated to close the vehicle window. However, when the foreign matter is drawn into the door, friction is produced between the vehicle window and the foreign matter. In this case, when the vehicle window is closed at a high speed, a load may suddenly be applied to the foreign matter.
Moreover, in the vehicle window opening device of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2011-122369, when the drawing of a foreign matter occurs, a door belt molding in a lower portion of the window frame may be drawn in together with the foreign matter. This may result in repetitive drawing of the door belt molding. Once repetitive drawing of the door belt molding starts, the drawing prevention function may always be activated at the same position even though only the door belt molding has been drawn into the door without any foreign matter. In this manner, repetitive drawing of the door belt molding may adversely affect the foreign matter drawing detection performance.